Courts and police put on alert over fox hunt ban

Government legal chiefs have written to the bosses of all crown courts and magistrates south of the Border, warning them that the potential for illegal protests in the days immediately after the ban is enforced on Friday could have a tremendous impact on their workload.

The warning, in a letter obtained by Scotland on Sunday, lays bare the government’s continuing concerns that the bitter campaign to ban fox-hunting could explode into a hugely divisive issue in the run-up to the election campaign.

Pro-hunting campaigners have pledged to demonstrate en masse across the country on Saturday - although they insist their protests will be within the law.

But a letter from the Criminal Business Branch of the Department of Constitutional Affairs to all 42 Justices’ Chief Executives in England and Wales, along with magistrates’ representatives, reveals the government’s concerns that "public order" will be "a major issue".

Jan Berry, who chairs the Police Federation in England and Wales, has admitted that vociferous opposition to the new law - and hunters attempting to flaunt the regulations - would put huge strain on the resources of small rural forces.

A confrontation with a large section of the rural population in the midst of an election campaign could prove disastrous for Tony Blair’s attempts to win a third term in power.

But the Countryside Alliance, which has launched a legal campaign against the ban, last night greeted the government’s concerns with derision - claiming the letter offered proof that ministers were not convinced that they could enforce their own law.

"We will have over 200 hunts out on Saturday but none of them will be breaking the law," a spokeswoman for the organisation said. "We do not want to fall out with the police or the courts because we realise they will have a terrible job enforcing this law."